2011 Pocahontas County Social Studies Fair One Of The Largest In Recent Years

Dunmore, WV – According to the West Virginia Social Studies Fair website, Social studies education must afford the student the opportunity to ask essential questions, recognize patterns of behavior, think critically, create solutions, predict outcomes and draw conclusions to help them learn to solve problems. Wanda Hrabina says in this regard, West Virginia is unique.

“West Virginia is the only state in the country that still has the official Social Studies Fair from the County to the State Level” she says.

Hrabina is the Coordinator of the 2011 Pocahontas County Social Studies Fair. She says that this fair is one of the biggest in recent years with 111 entries. The Judging is done in divisions with multiple categories in each Division.

“There are three divisions” she says. “Division one is grades 4 and 5, Division 2 is grades 6, 7 and 8, and Division 3 is the high school, grades 9 thru 12. From grades 4 to 12, throughout our county, the students have been working on projects; a project of their choice, in a variety of different categories from Anthropology, to US History to State and Local Studies, World History, Economics. And they’ve spent time developing their project, writing up an abstract, and making up displays.”

The task of judging is daunting. The displays are very well done. Their knowledge of their subjects is impressive. And it is obvious that they rehearsed their presentations. Judge Emory Grimes summed up the judges task.

“It’s difficult, it’s difficult” says Grimes. “These children have done a great job on this, and it’s really difficult to judge. It’s going to be very close. They have wonderful projects.”

The children consulted a variety of sources during their preparation. Some used the internet while others used the library. And some did interviews with local experts. Regardless of the technique, the results were amazing.

The winners of the 2011 Pocahontas County Social Studies Fair:

Division 1: Grades 4 and 5

Economics:
1st Tara Warner – How Do Windmills Produce Energy.
2nd Trey Payton & Cedric Woodell – The Life of Bees

Sociology:
1st Henry Whitehead – Percy Jackson
2nd Aspen Holder – Dogs Have Jobs

US History:
1st Individual – Hunter Wilfong – Tabasco Sauce
2nd Individual – Kiy Williams – The History of 9-11

1st Group – Shannon Stinson, Max Schebek – Amelia Earhart
2nd Group – Emalee Arbogast, Patience Garretson – The Life of Abraham Lincoln

World History:
1st Individual – Victoria Rose – Nuts About Peanut
2nd Individual – Megan Long – History of Stained Glass

1st Group – Jake Gardner, Clayton Shinaberry, Jarrett Taylor – History of Gun Calibers

2nd Group – Deana Workman, Paulena Schoolcraft – Teddy Bears: What Lies Behind Those Button Eyes

3rd Group – Caitlin Keatley, Marley Brust – World War II

Division 2: Grades 6 through 8

Anthropology:
1st Mikalan Holder, Marilyn Creager – The Tarahumara: Infected by the Modern World

Economics:
1st Dylan Cassell – It’s a Zoo
2nd Brandall Carr – What’s for Dinner?

Geography:
1st Lara Baudler, Jenna Bryant – The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle

Psychology:
1st Galen Sexton – Music & Its Effects on the Teenage Mind

Sociology:
1st Individual – Emily Boothe – Women’s Basketball: Then and Now
2nd Individual – Vanessa Varner – Grooming & Caretaking of Horses
3rd Individual – Travis Taylor – The Role of a Mine Safety Inspector
Honorable Mention – Kristie Topper – German Shepherds: Where They Originated & Their Abilities

1st Group – Samantha Collins, Kaila Peck – Facebook vs Myspace
Honorable Mention – Duane Carpenter, Austin Cottle, Jesse Coy – NCAA Football

State & Local Studies:
1st Individual – Cody McCarty – Maple Syrup
2nd Individual – Jason Cassell – Northern Pocahontas County
3rd Individual – Robert Nelson – Coon Hunting

1st Group – Natalie Hartzell, Sarah Lambert – Beginning of the End
2nd Group – Sarah Ryder, Tiffany Hoover – “Thank You” Robert C Byrd
3rd Group – Harley Francisco, Caitlin Buchanan – Droop Mountain Battlefield

US History:
1st Individual – Melissa Murphy – History of Women’s Basketball
2nd Individual – Kindra Carr – How Diptheria Devastated Nome, Alaska
3rd Individual – Isaac Hise – Early Logging Methods of the late 1800’s & Early 1900’s
Honorable Mention – Josh Carr – Caterpillar Company: Then & Now

1st Group – Michelle Murphy, Tessa Himelrick – Ashes to Reform
2nd Group – Audrey Lore, Caitlin Barnes – The Peace Movement of the 1960’s
3rd Group – Eddie Varner, Michael Long- Stars & Stripes
Honorable Mention – Autumn Nelson, Lindsey Hartzell – What We Know About the Unknown

World History:
1st Individual – Miles Goodall – What is the Geneva Convention
2nd Individual – Destiny Varner – Anne Boleyn: The Second Queen
3rd Individual – Bobbie McNabb – History of Sheep

1st Group – Kala Lester, Danielle Cain – What’s So Great About the 1980’s
2nd Group – Austin Hubbert, Phillip Green – Fireworks
3rd Group – Amber Beverage, Kelsey Buchanan – Coffee Anyone?
Honorable Mention – Brandon Halterman Brandon Wilfong – Agent Orange: The Ugly Truth

Division 3: High School Grades 9 through 12

Geography:
1st Erin White, Parker White – Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle

Psychology:
1st Santana Beck – What is Love?
2nd Amanda Rogers, Haley Hensler, Sommer Hickman – Lady Killers
3rd Chantella Lewis, Michael Deweese – Thirteen

Sociology:
1st Individual – Fredericka Gardner – Notorious Women of the Sea
2nd Individual – Dillon Kelly – How did Wilt Chamberlain Change Basketball

1st Group – Tyler Davis, Cassidy Rao – Autism
2nd Group – Clayton Irvine, Kala Homaker, Tiffany Harrah – Modalities of Radiology

State & Local Studies:
1st Individual – Gabriel Walkup – The Walkups of the Greenbrier Valley
2nd Individual – Ethan Pugh -Staunton-Parkersburg Pike and the Travelers Repose

1st Group – Kara Lane, Mica Cain, Priscilla Grimes – West Virginia Coal Mining
2nd Group – Karey Barb, Lilly Tracy – What Happened at Droop Mountain
3rd Group – Dylan Weatherholt, Anson Hatfield – The Hatfield and McCoy Feud

US History:
1st Individual – Trista Circosta – The Black Dahlia
2nd Individual – Cassie Smith – Who is Chuck Yeager

1st Group – Tiffanie Alexander, Rebecca Jerome – The Black Dahlia
2nd Group – Rebecca Cutlip, Brittany Phillips – How Well Do You Know Kenny Chesney
3rd Group – Brady Potvin, Kody Burns – How Soaring Oil Prices are Affecting the US Economy

World History:
1st Individual – Drew Caloccia – The 7th Armored Division of WW II
2nd Individual – MacKenzie Halterman – Secret Plance of History
3rd Individual – Rebekah Anderson – King Tut’s Curse

1st Group – Autumn Ryder, Justin Cain – Princess Diana
2nd Group – Derek Hammons, Levi Hefner – The History of Guerilla Warfare
3rd Group – Bethany Arbogast, Kendra Hubbert, Joe Coy – The Unsinkable Ship

Winners from the County Fair that compiled a score or 90% or better will have an opportunity to compete in the Regional Fair at Greenbrier East on the 26th of March. If the kids finish first there and have a score of 90% or better, then they can move on to the State Fair in Charleston on April 29th.
To learn more about the West Virginia Social Studies Fair visit their website, www.wwssfair.com.